Papua New Guinea's first female army officers to graduate next year

PNG's first female army cadets put to the test in a gruelling training exercise with NZ Army Captain, Anika Tiplady (C)

New Zealand Defence Force

Papua New Guinea will soon have its first female army officers.

The four women cadets have just completed a gruelling leadership training course, which placed them under great physical and mental pressure.

The course was run by a New Zealand Army Captain, Anika Tiplady who says three of the participants are expected to graduate in nine months.

She has told Pacific Beat being a female army officer in male dominated PNG could pose some challenges.

"The difficulty is that they are in a male dominated country," she said.

"But the girls that are there, there were four, I believe there is now three, the girls that are there I think are going to do a fantastic job."

Captain, Anika Tiplady says the women shone during their training and showed great potential.

"They are leading the way and it is going to be great," she said.

"Because once I experienced it when I was over there, just seeing the local people seeing women in uniform and leading and yeah, it sort of inspires others and I think by them doing this they are going to do the same, so it will be great."